Have Sunblock, Sun Hat and Beach Towel - Will Travel

Cape Town is no exception to this rule where the weather has a large bearing on how we go about our daily business.

Glorious sunshine brings us all outside to go to one of the many fantastic beaches around the coast, visit The Waterfront or simply to sit under the trees at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

Take the advice in the article below, cover up with sunblock now for great looking skin, which is after all our largest organ and worth looking after!

Sunblock Is The Most Important Cosmetic You Will Ever Use

All of us who are now in our middle years will have some degree of photoaging (premature aging) as at the time we were growing up, sunblock or sunscreen was never heard of.

I remember lines of brown bikini clad bodies lying on the beach, covered in coconut oil, never suspecting that their beautiful tans would someday cause them wrinkles, pigmentation and even skin cancer.

But let’s not get depressed, there is always an answer and make a promise to yourself today that from now on its sunblock each day, every day!

It is fine to wear under makeup and nowadays even the higher protection ones have an acceptable consistency and a non greasy feel due to advanced ingredients replacing the older zinc oxide and PABA.

The effectiveness of a sunblock or sunscreen is measured by its SPF or sun protection factor. Hence a block with an SPF of 15 means that you could stay out in the sun 15 times longer than if you were not wearing it.

Dermatologists and doctors recommend a minimum of SPF 15 for all over use but personally I prefer SPF 25 or higher for facial use. This ensures maximum UV protection and will allow the skin to repair itself as much as possible.

Sunblocks and sunscreens work by reflecting UV rays or absorbing them, either works well, the higher SPF ones can do both.

UV (short for ultraviolet) are rays emitted from the sun. UV rays come in three categories, UVA and UVB and UVC. UVC is absorbed by the earth’s atmosphere and does not reach us, the other two are the ones to worry about.

UVA rays used to be considered harmless and most of the older sunscreens that did not contain zinc did not filter out UVA. Today we know that UVA rays are the most dangerous as they can penetrate right through the skin and damage the support systems of collagen and elastin. UVB does not penetrate the skin quite as much but still causes much damage and is responsible for most sunburn.

Make sure any sunblock or sunscreen you use has broad spectrum UV protection against both of these, this will also ensure further protection against infra red rays as well. LyphaZome SPF LyphaZome SPF 30 Moisturizing Sunscreen is a broad spectrum cream which will give you maximum protection without irritation.

Its recommended by dermatologists and is also a great moisturizer. Completely non greasy it is also waterproof for at least eight hours. Make sure you apply it twenty minutes or so before hitting the outdoors. LyphaZome is also suitable as a baby sunscreen, but be sure never to leave baby out in the sun.

Sun block must never be worn near the eye area, it can cause severe stinging. A product specially formulated for this area is DDF Protective Eye Cream SPF 15

It will also tighten the skin around this area improving its appearance. Using this product around the eyes, together with a good pair of sunglasses will considerably lessen the formation of wrinkles and crows feet over time.

UV rays are always present during the day even when the sun is not shining. Even on a cloudy day up to 80% of these can still come through. They are there even when you are driving, especially with the window open, and if you are sitting at home in the sun near a window, well guess what? That’s right! So always use a sunblock during the day whatever you are doing.

Wearing a broad brimmed hat is a great way to stop sun damage and is a good idea to wear one if you are going to be in the sun for any length of time. Long sleeved and legged garments in a light color help with the rest of you.

Be aware too that up to 90% of UV rays can be reflected off glass, water, metal surfaces, light colored walls etc so they’re attacking from every angle!

If possible avoid being outside for any length of time from late morning to late afternoon as between those times the rays are shortest and can do the most damage to your skin.

The folk who are most at risk from sun damage are those with lighter colored hair and light eyes. If you already have a lot of sun damage that you are unhappy with, it may be best to find a good dermatologist - see link at bottom of page - to discuss your options such as skin peels or laser treatments. Skin will improve itself if it is looked after and protected properly but it is a gradual process.

Taking antioxidants like vitamin C is said to help. There are various cosmetics which can also assist, see pages on anti aging and wrinkles. If you are still young take heed now! Use a sunblock every day and your skin will look great for the rest of your life.

Recent research shows that Lutein - an antioxidant found in dark green vegetables - may help in protecting skin from sun damage, so munch away on those vegies!

Other information just to hand is - application of retin A or a retinol product can prevent collagen damage. The retin A slows the bio chemical changes that lead to aging skin.